


Found - One Baby

by ImperfectOrphanage



Category: Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2017-12-03
Packaged: 2019-02-10 04:25:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12904002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImperfectOrphanage/pseuds/ImperfectOrphanage
Summary: After a reckless mother abandoned her newborn child in Sanae's cafe, the Producer and the Composer of Shibuya become the proud parents of a little stinker they name Joshua.The plan was to grow the perfect Composer. However, things never seem to go as planned.





	1. Chapter 1

The electronic chime on the door really needed fixing. Sanae would sometimes hear it, but other times it refused to notice people walking through the door. It’s only job was to sing ‘bing-bong’ and it failed at that more than the fifty year old bell he used to have on the handle. The broken chime pissed him off on days he had to do a lot of baking in the back. People would come in, some would give a soft hello, others would sit and wait without word. It was giving his café a bad reputation.

So there was no surprise when he didn’t hear it. He’d had his head down near the oven to check on the cinnamon rolls. There wasn’t a single thing to grab his attention except for the strange feeling that something was suddenly off. He called out and heard nothing, and instead of investigating he continued in his work of checking pastries. The door finally chimed, and Sanae grumbled as he left the warm kitchen to find not a single person waiting.

There was, however, a concerning pattern of bloody shoe prints on the fine marble floor. The prints led to the woman’s bathroom and inside the second stall of two. A lot of people not handicapped used the back stall because it was larger, and it pissed him off.

But there was something incredibly wrong. The bloody shoe prints changed into drag marks that led to a wide puddle. He peered around the door, looking left and right, but not seeing anything.

Wait. No. There was something behind the toilet.

Kneeling down-careful not to get the blood on his slacks-he reached out to touch a squishy lump.

It moved.

He startled a bit, reached back out, and pulled the bundle of rags and lukewarm skin closer to him. Peeling away the torn clothes, he recoiled as he saw a sickly, blue tinted newborn. Sanae didn’t think about how it was against protocol to assist anyone in the RG, and he immediately began to check for pulse, breathing, and attentiveness.

Once he found very little breathing and a flutter of a pulse, he began CPR to bring the child around. Cradling the baby’s head he pushed two fingers gently on the baby’s chest before covering its nose and lips with his mouth. One soft breath…more palpitations…another breath…more-

It didn’t cry. It mewled. Sanae waited, and when the baby stirred and started to breathe-albeit shallowly-he wrapped it up and hurried from the bathroom to get the child warm. He washed it off in the deep kitchen sink, not caring that he’d have to bleach the hell out of the café later. Once clean, he wrapped the baby in a few towels-shit it was small-and set it under the warming lights he usually reserved for chicken or cuts of turkey.

The baby shifted, squirmed, and squeaked. It had a fuzzy head and scrunched up eyes. Sanae wasn’t one for children but he had to admit the little stinker was cute. It was getting its color back slowly. During the time it did, Sanae fretted over whether he should call a hospital or his boss.

Hospital…

Composer…

Hospital…safe for baby humans.

Composer…

Shit.

Fuck.

It didn’t take long for the decision to be made for him. His Composer hopped into the kitchen from thin air and smiled brightly as he saw the little trouble on the counter. The Composer was a bit of an airhead at times, a stickler for the rules, and a pushover when it came to kids and small animals.

“Oh! He’s _adorable_ , Sanae.”

“Boss-“

“What have I told you? Call me Michel. Mi-chel.”

Sanae scratched the back of his neck. “So…yeah. I found it.”

“It? Oh, no, Sanae. It’s a boy. Aren’t you?” Michel laughed as he tickled the baby’s far too skinny neck and face. “He needs some weight.”

Before Sanae could protest, the Composer flicked his wrist to form a bottle of warm formula. Gathering the bundle in his arms, Michel put the nipple of the bottle into the baby’s mouth and it began to suck slowly. It managed to drain the bottle, and directly after it fell asleep. The Composer put him up on his shoulder and patted the baby’s back. It burped and spit up on his pristine shirt, but Michel didn’t care.

“I think I’ll keep him,” the man said, expression serious.

“Michel…”

“Oh, come on, Sanae. Look at this little face.”

Sanae inhaled slowly. “Boss, it ain’t regulation to-“

“I was reading,” he said, bouncing on his feet as he walked around the kitchen. His hand stroked the baby’s back and he cooed to it between sentences. “You know how much I want to retire. I have yet to find a worthy successor. I believe this little one could be it.”

What.

WHAT.

“Boss-“

“We could be his parents. You could raise him here, in your little café. I will teach him all about the world outside of the RG, and he’ll become a more powerful Composer than I ever could be.”

“But that ain’t-“ Sanae said, halting as he received ‘that look’. “Fine. If’n you say so. But it ain’t right ta suck ‘im in.”

“Oh, I’m not.” Michel carried the baby over to Sanae.  “Don’t you see it? The light on his crown?”

Sanae reached out to brush a hand over the baby’s fuzzy head. As he did, a halo of white lines danced around the baby’s head like a circlet. He continued to pet the baby, tracing lines and reading words in angelic script. The baby, for all its tiny measure, was gifted with the Sight.

“You see?” The Composer continued to cradle the child. “He isn’t very RG, is he? What a poor baby. We’ll call him Joshua.”

“Kinda English, ain’t it?”

“Yoshiya,” he replied. “Yoshiya Kiryu.”

Sanae tilted his head.

“Kiryu was my father’s family name. I just didn’t like it.”

He couldn’t help but smile. Sanae knew the Composer had wanted children in his short life. As he gazed at the six foot man with long brown hair and kind eyes, he had to give in.

“Aight. Joshua it is,” Sanae said. “Which one of us is tha mom?”

Michel laughed. “You’re not very progressive. He’s going to have two daddies. But if he wants to, he can call me Mother. Oh! It’ll be so cute coming from his tiny face. Squishy, squishy.”

It was a stupid idea. Sanae knew it was a stupid idea.

But…it was going to be a facet of human life he hadn’t explored in full. He took the baby from the Composer and cradled it in his arms.

“Hey, J.”

The baby sighed in his sleep.

“I think we’re gonna be best friends.”

\---

Shibuya had a glow to it that wasn’t present before the adoption of the tiny baby. Michel had become far kinder than he had been when dealing with the Game, and the city flourished with his pleasure at being a parent. He would hold the baby in his arms while doing paperwork. He would feed him when eating his own meals. He would put him in a harness when fulfilling his official duties.

The first time he saw a Player look at him with confusion, he knew it was the right thing to do.

It gave him a soft exterior. The Players were calmer for it.

But today, Michel was off of work and happy to be so. He had Joshua in his little harness strapped against his chest, and the two of them went into town to do a little shopping and a bit of sightseeing. Michel wanted to make sure Joshua was fully schooled on the ins and outs of the city, and even though he’d have to reintroduce Joshua to all things once older, he still loved to talk to the baby.

Joshua loved it, too. He would gaze up at Michel with wide eyes and a twitching smile on his pouty little lips. At least he was old enough to hold his head up.

He’d been taken to a doctor not too long after they found him. Sanae registered his name as a parent and with a little music manipulation, Michel was also listed as family. The doctor had told them he was severely under nourished. His lungs were still weak, his heart was a bit too fluttery, and he might be a bit damaged in motor function because of the lack of oxygen he’d suffered. Michel knew better.

They put Joshua on a good diet of the top rated formula, bought him the best diapers, and spent far too much on cute clothing and blankets. He didn’t have a nursery since he slept with Michel in the Pad and often with Sanae in the spare room of the café. Joshua was loved, he was cared for, and he would never need to worry about food or warmth.

He did, however, love warmth a little too much at times. Joshua would squeal at the area he’d been heated under when found, and when the café closed at night, Sanae would let him lay under the lights. For some reason he slept better. The two men merely shrugged it off.

“I should make ‘im an incubator,” Sanae said. He was standing back a bit, arms crossed as he eyed the baby critically.

“You could. He would love you for it. I suppose we need to think about long term arrangements. Joshua cannot stay with me much longer. He will need a strong foundation. Do you use the apartment upstairs or-“

Sanae huffed. “I ain’t used it in years. Can’t say it’s the best situation for ‘im. It’s tiny.”

“But,” Michel gazed down at the boy with a loving expression, “he will be happy. Of that I know.”

Joshua squirmed. He babbled and cooed, and he kicked his feet. The onesie he wore was one of his favorites with blue bunnies and ribbons. Michel knew it was, because Joshua had told him.

“I love you, little one.”

An arm encircled his shoulders and Sanae exhaled. “Yeah. Can’t help but love tha little stinker. Paperwork came back. It’s official.”

“Wonderful. Having the High Council’s backing makes this much easier.” Michel turned to leave. “Oh, you can watch him for a bit, can’t you? I’m going to clean out the apartment.”

“Sure. Probably millions of spiders up there.”

Michel paused. “Spiders?”

“Mmhm.”

He grinned widely. “I _love_ spiders.”

“Yeah, yeah I know. You’re a weirdo.”

Michel laughed as he left the kitchen to go up the stairs in the back storeroom. Up he went to the single white door at the end and into a nightmare he walked. There were many spiders and webs, but there were also a few pieces of furniture from the seventies and older. He shivered at the sight and drew his hands up to clear away the many horrors of Sanae’s unused apartment.

The apartment was a partial studio with the living, kitchen, and dining being in the front, and two doors being in the back. One went to the bathroom-obviously-and the other went to a bedroom big enough for two people.

“Hm. We need another bedroom…” Michel tapped his finger to his chin. If he shifted this over there and that right here and maybe…yes…good. The bathroom was now in the opposite corner to take up the dining and living space. Now there were two bedrooms side by side.

He entered each one to throw a bit of decorating around. A pink and purple nursery for his little boy, and a traditional adult bedroom for his sweet Sanae. It wasn’t much, but it would be home. The thought made Michel incredibly happy, since he hadn’t had much of a home while growing up.

Joshua would never need to fear being disowned or further abandoned.

Even if Michel had to move the heaven and earth for Joshua, he would never be unhappy.

Because he needed it, Michel had imprinted an idea in a business owner’s head that the extra money he had on the side would be perfect for a baby store. Not to mention, Michel planted that the man should hire one of the ex-Players who had a penchant for design. The store was called Pleasantly Cute, and the motif was of pink and white sheep leaping through a field of hearts. Inside there were racks upon racks of adorable baby fashions, boxes of fancy diapers, cans of delicious formula, and the sweetest little accessories.

He’d been there several times before, and the couple owning the store knew him well. The girl running the place was friendly enough that they would share a hug and a long conversation on what had gone on between meetings. She also loved tickling Joshua and brushing a hand through his fluffy hair.

“We have new onesies in the back corner. Over there we have new pacifiers and we just got in the diapers you like to use,” she rambled off, pointing out the many things he’d be into. “You know, for someone with such a fashionable baby, you are a bit casual in your fashion.”

Michel laughed. It startled Joshua and he started to cry before realizing where he was. His eyes went wide as he gazed at all the things, including the many mobiles hanging from the ceiling.

“Well, kiddo,” Michel patted the girl on the head, “nothing beats a pair of slacks and a comfortable sweatshirt when you’re a mom.”

“You have a point. I wouldn’t want Joshua spitting up on something fancy.” She tickled Joshua’s neck and the baby squealed. “Aren’t you vocal today?”

He squealed and squeaked, and waved his hands as he took in the shop. His eyes stopped on a large bear on the shelf near the shirts and pants. There was a sound he’d make when excited, and it was a cross between gasps and hoots.

“I see you’ve got your eye for that bear,” she said. “He’s made from the softest chenille and is perfectly safe for babies since it’s face is embroidered.”

Joshua bounced by kicking his legs.

“How much?” Michel patted Joshua’s bottom.

“5800.”

“Well. Joshua certainly has expensive taste. What if I said no, Joshua?” He gazed down at his son and smiled as Joshua’s eyes darted around to find something else. “Okay, okay. I’ll get you the bear since you’re such a cute child.”

He continued to shop, pointing out things he wanted to have them shipped to the apartment. It wouldn’t do to hold a baby and a bunch of bags. He did keep one thing out of the shipment-a small pacifier and clip that was blue and green. Joshua had taken a fancy to it and was sucking gently on the pacifier. They finished up shortly after and went down the street to a restaurant that wasn’t much more than a window where you’d order something delicious.

Michel bought a crepe and fought to keep it away from Joshua’s sticky fingers as he ate. Eventually Joshua gave up, his eyes fluttered shut, and he fell asleep against Michel’s chest. The two of them didn’t spend too much more time out and about. It _was_ Joshua nap time, and if he didn’t get a good rest, he’d be an unholy terror later.

They arrived home at a quarter till six, and the sun was hiding behind the buildings. The lights of the café were already on, and there were three people inside enjoying meals. Michel said nothing as he nodded to the customers and went to the kitchen to see how Sanae was fairing. The barista was cooking up a storm.

“Hello, Dad,” Michel said.

“Heya, Mom,” he laughed. “I made some soup. Hope ya didn’t eat.”

“You know I’m always hungry for you. I mean, your cooking.”

Joshua began to squirm. He whimpered and whined, and the two men nodded to each other as Michel hurried upstairs to change the baby and put him down for a nap.

The apartment was quiet when Joshua wasn’t awake. Not only were there no burbling babbles, but the energy of the future Composer of Shibuya was calm. Michel lounged on a loveseat they had tucked in a corner of the main area, and he flicked through the channels while fighting back a yawn.

Motherhood was exhausting, but he and the city had never been happier.

\---

“There we are,” Sanae said, holding a spoon out to Joshua. “Do ya like it?”

He was still too young for solids, but he often opened his mouth when Sanae was tasting his cooking with a small spoon. Sanae would make sure it was just liquid when he offered it to the baby. Joshua seemed to love eating, and was gaining weight right on schedule. The pediatrician was happy with his milestones and Michel was very happy with his continued growth. He and Sanae had been afraid that living close to the UG would cause some strange effects, but so far he was a normal baby.

“Hooooooo,” Joshua called.

Sanae laughed. The baby had begun to sing here and there when happy. He still cried when he needed something-changing, bottles, hugs-but he also sang to Sanae and Michel with the power of the city tickling across his skin. The circlet on his forehead glowed brightly when he did.

“Must be good, eh?” Sanae returned to stirring the stew he was boiling for the winter menu. It had bits of potatoes, chunks of fresh beef, thick broth, and small noodles. The patrons had enjoyed it the winter before, and a few had already been asking for it.

“Hoo, hoo?”

He turned to see Joshua waving his hands as he stared at the ceiling of the café. It was open to the pipes and air ducts, making the kitchen seem bigger. Joshua would watch the tiny Noises that lived in the café, hidden from the view of the RG. There was a small dragon in red that had taken a fancy to Joshua, and the baby would hoo and coo until it came to sit with him.

It was slender and long with tiny hands and feet. The claws were sharp but the dragon was tender with Joshua and never scratched him even by accident. It had a frill of black fur and one tooth was longer than the other. If Sanae or Michel took their eyes off of Joshua, and Joshua got into mischief, the dragon would make sure he didn’t get hurt.

“Hoooooo,” Joshua called.

The dragon slid through the air without wings and landed in front of Joshua on the tray of the high chair. It flicked its tail and butted it’s head against Joshua’s chin as the baby laughed. Joshua squealed and hugged the dragon to him like a stuffed toy. He began to sing again, and his circlet glowed as starlight.

Sanae took his eyes off of Joshua for a nanosecond to grab salt, and when he looked back, the tiny dragon was not so tiny anymore.

It had a much larger tail and longer neck. The dragon looked more like a snake with a slithery forked tongue and a hiss in its voice. Joshua wasn’t afraid, even as the snake curled around his shoulders to rest.

“You’re too much like yer mother,” Sanae sighed. “Loves spiders, too.”

Joshua obviously didn’t respond in words. He made a burbling noise and yawned widely as his eyes began to droop. His head lolled and he grunted in frustration.

“Aight. Naptime.” Sanae put the spoon down and went to Joshua to lift him gently up from the chair. He held the warm baby against his chest and patted it’s back. “There there. C’mon.”

Despite squirming, Joshua didn’t last long after being placed in his playpen for a nap. The dragon remained next to him, eyes closed but attention sharp. Joshua had a teddy bear he loved to watch as he fell into slumber, and he cooed until he couldn’t fight sleep.

The café went quiet outside of the bubbling pots and hissing stove. Sanae continued to work while he kept a watchful eye on his surrogate son. He was grateful to the High Council for allowing Michel and him to experiment with growing a Composer. Though Joshua had become much more than a future ruler of Shibuya and her citizens.

If he listened close, he could hear Shibuya singing softly as Joshua slept.

Perhaps they were wrong. Perhaps Joshua had two daddies, and a mother.


	2. Chapter 2

The day started like any other Game day. Michel woke up early in the bed he shared with his Producer and shoved him awake. He didn’t like mornings, but with a little urging and a kiss to the mouth, Sanae popped up to make coffee. The two of them went through the next hour by cleaning up and starting breakfast for not just them but Joshua as well. He hadn’t started crying yet, but he usually didn’t until half-past eight. It gave Michel time to fully wake and read through his paperwork for the day.

He sipped coffee, signed off on documents, and noticed the clock had turned to eight-forty-five.

Setting the cup and papers down, he left the kitchen to check on the baby since Sanae was in the shower caterwauling. It should have woke Joshua.

“Sweetie?” Michel peered into the dark bedroom. He quietly crept to the crib and leaned over to hear Joshua’s heavy breathing. It sounded just the same as always. Michel put a hand to the baby’s cheek and startled immediately at the heat he found there. “Oh, Joshua! You have a fever!”

The baby didn’t respond even as Michel lifted him up. He continued to sleep and the sight of his flushed face gave the Composer’s heart a skip. Joshua wasn’t sweating.

“Sanae!”

Michel didn’t wait as he rushed into the kitchen to get a cool cloth to put on Joshua’s face and head. He bounced the infant on his hip and tried desperately to wake him. Within a few minutes a bedraggled Sanae appeared from the bathroom with a towel around his shoulders.

“He’s got a high fever. Why didn’t Shibuya tell me?” He hugged Joshua to his chest, making sure to cradle his bottom and head. “Sanae we need to take him to the hospital. I’m not allowed to treat him.”

“Sure thing, Boss. Lemme have ‘im. We might not be allowed ta heal ‘im, but we’ll transport.”

“Yes,” Michel agreed. He handed Joshua to Sanae before placing his hands on the Producer’s shoulders to teleport to the hospital. The energy of Shibuya rewrote the memory of the people who may have seen them and they hurried to the counter with Joshua.

The nurse was kind and called for another nurse to take them to a room. He was the one who took Joshua from Sanae’s arms to rest in a little crib while they checked his vitals. The doctor came soon after, and the rest of the morning was a blur while they treated Joshua as tenderly and lovingly as his parents.

Michel and Sanae were asked to wait in the room while they took Joshua away to get the fever down, and it left the fabric of Shibuya with a terrible hole.

“I need to get to work.”

“Nah,” Sanae put an arm around him, “parentin’ comes first. Yer Conductor has this. I texted ‘im a few minutes ago.”

“It’s incredibly frightening. I realize now how my Players must feel. One second the world is bright, and the next everything changes.”

“He’ll be fine. I promise. That kid is a fighter.”

It was true. Joshua had gotten through his messy birth and near death without a bit of consequence, and he had never before met a milestone he couldn’t crush by hitting it early. He was a perfect little baby and if any child could come out of a fever, it would be him.

They heard a squeal down the hall and the spirit of Shibuya assured Michel that the baby was fine and the fever was going down. Thank the heavens and the Lord above. Michel knew it would be best to return to work, and Sanae was left behind to tend for Joshua.

He texted later that Joshua had a respiratory virus and would be staying overnight. The doctors had caught the nasty thing just in time and the fever had lowered to a normal temperature within a couple hours. Sanae texted that Joshua was fussy and complaining about the tubes and needles with sharp squeals and violent kicking.

It occurred to Michel that the baby was most likely pissed off about not having his Noise friends and the teddy bear. Michel left work early that day to bring Joshua his bear, and the second the baby saw it he calmed and finally went to sleep.

“5800,” Sanae said.

“5800.”

“Kid’s got taste.”

Michel smiled. “Yes. Yes, he does.”

\---

 Awareness came to him slowly. He was lying in a crib not his own, with a crinkly mattress and an uncomfortable blanket. Above the crib a plain mobile hung spinning slowly. It had a triangle, a circle, and a square in primary colors. How did he know those things?

Joshua was smart. He listened and learned when his parents talked to him. Even though he couldn’t interact with them on an adult level, he understood. He listened to Shibuya and her song, and she taught him things about the city even more than Michel-mama did. Sanae-papa was a smelly old man but Joshua loved the way he snuck cigarettes in front of him. Michel-mama told him not to, but he did, and Joshua liked the smell of smoke and coffee. It was comforting.

He managed to roll over in the crib to sit up. Sanae-papa was sleeping in a bright yellow chair next to the bed and his head bobbed against his chest. Joshua tried to reach through the bars of the crib but he was too small to reach. Instead, he felt a stirring in his head and he acted on it.

_Papa!_

Sanae sat up quickly. He glanced around the room and even behind his shoulders. When he saw no other person except for Joshua, he narrowed his eyes.

Again, Joshua felt the weird thing and he pulled on it.

_Papa…hug…_

“Well, shit. I s’pose tha fever did somethin’.”

Joshua tilted his baby head. He burbled a laugh as Sanae rose to reach into the crib. Waving his arms and bouncing on his diapered bottom, Joshua squealed and giggled. Sanae-papa was going to pick him up and hug him! He was going to get a hug and he loved hugs!

The barista held him close, careful of the wire sticking out of Joshua’s arm. Joshua didn’t know exactly what it was for, but he’d heard them talking about medicine. Sometimes Sanae-papa would drink medicine out of a bottle, and it smelled terrible. He hoped it wasn’t the same stuff.

“Good boy,” Sanae said as he rocked him in the chair. “J, yer tha best boy.”

He was. He knew he was.

“Yer mother will be back soon,” he explained. “He’s gotta work.”

Michel-mama was the Composer. Joshua knew he was, even though he didn’t understand what a Composer was outside of someone who loved Shibuya-mama more than most. He wanted to be a Composer one day. He wanted to show Shibuya-mama he was very much in love with her.

“Y’should be sleepin’.”

He yawned in reply. Joshua _was_ sleepy, but he wanted to enjoy the warmth he found in his papa’s chest and arms. The chair swayed forward and back, and he snored as he listened to the sound of the city and of the creaking of the chair.

Though he still didn’t know a lot of things, he knew he would never need worry for anything.

Sanae-papa, Michel-mama, and Shibuya-mama was his family.

He still wondered who his mother was and why she abandoned him. Joshua heard his parents talk about it here and there. It confused him how a person could throw someone away. All of the people Joshua had met were nice to him. They patted his cheeks and tickled his chin. Why would his mother not want to do the same?

Maybe one day his parents would tell him. It didn’t matter.

If someone wanted to throw him away, he would do the same to them.

\---

Michel noticed something was off with Joshua when he returned home to find Sanae and Joshua waiting for him in the apartment. Joshua had been discharged the morning after, and Michel had been swamped with Player entries up until a few hours after. He apologized profusely as he stood in the doorway removing his shoes and coat.

_It okay, Michel-mama._

The coat fell to the floor. Michel tilted his head and stared at Joshua with wide eyes.

“Did he-“

Sanae nodded and smiled. “Yep. Kiddo can hear us. Don’t think he understands much, but he’s listenin’ and talkin’.”

“It must have been the fever,” Michel sighed. He picked his coat up and hung it on the wall hook. “Shibuya most likely was integrating with Joshua’s soul, and it burned him up.”

The baby squeaked and waved his arms to be picked up and held. Michel did just that, hugging Joshua tight to his chest as he bounced him. “My little boy.”

_Mama._

“He has a cute voice, doesn’t he?” Michel kissed Joshua’s forehead. He could see the circlet even though it was glowing very little. It reacted to the kiss and Joshua made the face of a child eating something salty or sour. His little lips puckered and he flailed his arms.

Directly after, Joshua began cooing and bouncing against Michel. He giggled and sang, and the music calmed Michel’s frazzled soul. Michel sat on the sofa next to Sanae and held Joshua in his lap.

“He’s been a lot more alert,” Sanae explained while clicking the television off with the remote. “Joshua’s been askin’ questions. Not wit’ words, but wit’ his eyes.”

“What a smart baby. Do you have a question for me, little one?”

Joshua frowned. He stared at Michel for a long moment, and finally the urge to tell Joshua about the ins and outs of Composerhood washed over Michel.

“I can’t tell you, sweetie. You wouldn’t understand.”

Grunting, Joshua turned his attention to the buttons on Michel’s dress shirt. He sucked on the top one and grumbled in frustration. It was rather cute when he got angry.

“Are you hungry?” Michel held Joshua up and the baby gurgled. “You must be. How are you enjoying the mashed fruit?”

He said nothing. He said everything.

“Oh, you like raspberries the best? Then we had better make you some,” he laughed. Carrying Joshua into the kitchen, he put him in his high chair.

The baby food was homemade with a blender. Michel would buy fresh fruit nearly every day and puree them before putting them in tiny jars to save in the fridge. He dug around for a peach and raspberry blend in the back, and the second he closed the fridge door, the food flew out of his grasp and into Joshua’s shaky baby hands.

“That’s tha other thing,” Sanae called from the sofa. “J’s been naughty.”

“Joshua,” Michel said soothingly, “you shouldn’t do that. It isn’t nice.”

He didn’t seem to care as he sucked on the jar.

Not wanting to upset him, Michel took the jar away and opened it to spoon feed the little stinker. Joshua opened his mouth again and again, and within a few minutes the jar was empty. Joshua wanted more as he slapped his hands on the high chair tray.

“How about a bottle? Would you like a delicious bottle?”

Joshua made excited noises and bounced.

It didn’t take long to prepare. Michel had gotten the hang of tending to a baby. He gave Joshua the bottle and watched as he drained it slowly. Once finished, Joshua squeaked to let Michel know a change was in order. Each link in the chain led to the next. Feeding…diapering…rocking…sleeping…rinse and repeat.

By eight o’clock in the evening, Joshua was down for the night and Michel and Sanae were also reclining on the sofa. They may have not been an official couple, but they took comfort in each other’s arms. Michel loved placing his head on Sanae’s shoulder, and the two of them held hands.

Michel yawned. “How was work?”

“Same ol’ work.”

“Mm. Same. There are far too many Players. I should start weekly Games until the backlog is cleared up. I don’t want to burden my Reapers, but they need to be more efficient.”

“Yep.”

The conversation fell flat. They watched television and began to nod off. Michel went to bed first, and Sanae followed after once everything was back in order. Having a baby meant having messes.

Of course, it also meant feeling important and loved. Michel enjoyed the pretend family life as he curled against Sanae in the bed. He’d wanted to have children while alive, but things didn’t work out. The sole reason he had fought to become Composer was to fix a situation involving death, but he hadn’t understood what it meant to bring people back.

The one he loved, the one thing keeping him going, was gone.

He tried not thinking about it too much. It wouldn’t do to fret over things he could not control.

Sanae exhaled in his sleep and nuzzled closer under the thick wool blanket. Just like a cat.

“I love you,” Michel said softly.

He tucked his head under Sanae’s and fell asleep with the sound of the man’s purring.


	3. Chapter 3

Joshua was four years old. He was ready to take on the world.

But first, he needed to take on kindergarten.

His parents had bought him his uniform the week before and they oohed and ahhed over how adorable Joshua was with his little smock and hat. Joshua had requested a pink backpack with cute mascots running all over it. Inside the backpack, he had a loving lunch packed by Michel-mama, a couple books, and a small toy he’d been tugging around since the Christmas before. Sanae-papa had made it specially for Joshua. It was a wooden cat with moving joints. Joshua could pose it and draw scribbles of it, and he liked to take it with him because it was comforting.

“Are you all ready?” Michel-mama asked. He was holding a camera. “We need to get this for your photo album, little one.”

“Yah,” Joshua replied. He stood against one of the few bare spots of wall in the apartment with his hand up in the victory sign. “Cheese!”

Click. Shutter. Click.

“Wonderful! My little Joshua is a big boy. How sad. I’m going to miss you.”

Joshua ran up to hug Michel-mama around one leg. “It’s okay, Mama. Papa and you’ve taught me to be a very good person.”

“C’mon, J,” Sanae-papa called from the foyer where he was putting on sandals. “Gotta git ya ta school before the bell.”

“Yah!” Joshua hugged his mama one more time and hurried to put his nice shoes on. They were bright yellow to match his uniform and they had tiny buckles on the side. He bounced up and down in excitement and the two of them left the apartment and out the café.

Sanae-papa didn’t say much as he held Joshua’s hand and led him down the street. He bought Joshua a sticky bun and milk, and Joshua ate it while they walked. It was sweet and warm, and he sang in his mind of how he loved it.

“Good. If ya make a lot of friends an’ I get a good report, I’ll buy you another.”

“Really?” He brightened. “Thank you, Sanae-papa.”

The man smiled as they continued, and eventually they reached the Catholic school.

Joshua was a bit scared at how big it was, but the week before they had an open house for new students to get familiar with their class. He’d been too enamored with the library and courtyard to talk to many people, but there were a couple kids he’d love to know.

“Be good,” Sanae-papa said with warning in his voice.

Don’t levitate. Don’t use telekinesis. Don’t use telepathy.

“I will,” Joshua said with a proper bow, “bye, bye, Papa! I love you!”

He rushed up the walkway and into the school. His class was down the right hallway and to the left. Joshua hurried inside and put his things in the cubby marked with his name. It had butterflies and glitter on it and he smiled brightly before going to his desk. Sitting down, he bounced in the tiny seat as the other children filed into the room.

“Hey, Kiryu!”

Joshua turned to see a boy a bit tall to be a kindergartener. He’d explained the week before that his family was full of tall people. It was interesting to see someone not small like Joshua was. He hopped out of his chair and ran to hug the boy.

“Hiroshi, nice to see you!”

The boy hugged him back and they held each other’s hands as they talked animatedly about what they expected for the day to come. More students came in, and a girl came to join their conversation. Her name was Yuki, and she was a soft spoken mixed race like Joshua. Mostly white with dark hair, she stood out like a sore thumb.

But they were all friends. The class was nice and filled with nice people. Joshua’s teacher was nice and the world seemed wonderful. At the end of the day he was walked home by Michel-mama and he was congratulated on being a good boy. Michel-mama had purchased some workbooks, and since Joshua loved to learn he dove in to read about math and science.

It was nice being four.

\---

The passing days became months, and months became years. Michel watched Joshua grow from a rambunctious child to a happy-go-lucky pre-teen. He hit puberty and his voice squeaked. He had small patches of acne and needed to wear glasses to read. His teeth were a little off, but a few months in braces fixed it right up. Joshua didn’t think about having one foot in the UG, and it became just a normal part of his life to talk to Reapers and Game Masters as Michel’s son.

Michel knew, when the time came, his memory would be eradicated from everyone. It was no harm to let Joshua enjoy his youth.

But Joshua’s powers had been growing strange since he’d hit puberty. He could still control them to a point but they were far stronger than he’d had previously. If he grew angry-which was extremely rare-he’d yell and the kitchen would upturn. Pots and pans scattered everywhere and milk instantly curdled. He’d always apologize profusely and clean up the mess, but Michel worried.

He worried about Joshua’s soul being stable enough for Composerhood. He worried-along with Sanae-about Joshua’s longevity in the RG. The boy had already started to question things, and there were pieces of Shibuya he knew needed fixing.

Michel was losing strength each day, and he knew it was because Shibuya favored Joshua, and wanted him to be ready when the time came.

At night, when there wasn’t any work to be done, Michel would watch his son sleep with a sad feeling tugging his heart. He could still be in contact with him once ascending, but would Joshua hate him for the long term lie? They hadn’t told him the full truth.

What if Joshua turned on them?

No.

The peaceful, sleeping face of Michel’s son was too soft, too loving.

“I am so sorry, sweetheart.”

Joshua rolled over, cuddled a stuffed cat, and sighed.

“I love you.”

“Mm, love you,” he mumbled.

Michel remained close by Joshua through the night, and during the day he kept an eye on him by way of Shibuya and stray Noise. Joshua was twelve and would be thirteen soon enough, and the thought frightened Michel. He’d planned for Joshua to take the throne at eighteen.

But would they all be ready for it?

\---

“Fuck this shit, I’m out.”

“Joshua Kiryu,” Sanae warned, “we don’t talk like that.”

“The hell you don’t,” he replied with a snort. “You’ve been talking like that for years.”

“Do as I say, not as I do.”

Joshua shrugged. He’d taken up a nasty habit of smoking here and there, and though his parents didn’t like it, they figured it wouldn’t be a problem long term. It tasted good and it made Joshua feel good, and he didn’t have any other vices.

As long as he was a good kid and student, he got away with murder.

Well, Erasure. It was a thing.

Sanae had saved his ass more than he could count when a swarm of Noise would decide he’d make a wonderful evening snack. Joshua wasn’t able to show his powers in the RG, but Sanae would wait in the proverbial wings and take care of it. Once or twice, Joshua had Erased the Noise alone, but not near as often as his father did.

He’d also gotten into a few scrapes with people at school. His class was fairly decent but there was a group of assholes who hated mixed race children. Joshua would defend his friends and end up with a bloody nose or a black eye. But honestly, the others fared far worse. He’d broken bones and ruptured organs. Thankfully, the fights happened off school property and the families of the assholes didn’t have the means to take Joshua to court.

“Are you gonna sit there and smoke all night?” Sanae asked while rolling out dough. He was making some sort of pastry. “Don’tcha have work?”

“I finished my studies earlier. Worry not, Sanae,” he said, having long outgrown using papa.

Sanae wiped the back of his hand over his forehead and continued kneading. “Michel’ll be home soon an’ he’s wantin’ ta go over reports.”

“I do wish you’d be honest with me.”

“What’dya mean?”

He inhaled slowly and blew a ring of smoke out. “I am not the child I was. I am fifteen-“

“Goin’ on fifty.”

“-and I am well aware of what you two have planned.” He tapped the ashes from his cigarette. “Michel is growing pale and skinny. He’s losing his control of Shibuya. I know it is because Shibuya wants me to be her new Composer.”

The barista had paused. “Yeah. Yeah.”

“Sanae, dear,” he took another drag, “when do you need me? I am ready now.”

“No. Absolutely not. You’re too young.”

Joshua closed his eyes. Too young my ass. He flicked the cigarette at the trash after crumpling it up. Opening his eyes he sighed and leaned on his hands at the metal counter in the kitchen. “Sanae…why did you take me in?”

“Because you needed it,” he said without a breath of hesitation.

The words made Joshua warm. He’d been told the dirty details of his mother’s abandonment, but it didn’t hurt. She wasn’t ready for a child if she’d done such a thing. Joshua didn’t know who she was and didn’t care, but if she managed to show up one day he would embrace her and kiss her forehead.

What she had done changed the course of his life. He could not fault her for it.

“I will wait until I’m older. I only hope Michel has the time.”

Sanae stared at the dough. His hands squeezed into it and he exhaled. “Yeah. I hope so, too.”

\---

He didn’t.

Michel had went from a cheery, bubbling ball of energy to a shadow of his former self. He would be in bed from sunup to sundown, and the only time he rose was to eat or use the bathroom. His human form had long left, and he was nothing more but light and weak smiles. Despite it all, he continued to speak softly to Joshua, and assure he would be alright.

He wasn’t.

Joshua had his fifteenth birthday in the low light of the bedroom. He kept by Michel’s side no matter what and even missed a few classes as it was not important. His mother was dying. He was fading into dust and the angels had already begun to come and go in expectance of his passing. Joshua tried not to cry.

He cried. Every night.

He couldn’t hold on. He didn’t want to watch his mother suffer. Each shallow breath led to the next and Michel’s consciousness had slipped into a coma. No more did Joshua hear his beautiful voice. No more did he see the crinkles of a smile in his eyes and mouth.

“Mama,” he whispered. “Oh, Mama.”

Sanae had been buried in work. The Producer had to cover for Michel and had to prepare for Joshua’s coming. They had all planned on eighteen. Sanae pretended to still plan for eighteen.

“I won’t let you hurt. Michel-mama,” Joshua whimpered. He put his head to the Composer’s soft chest and felt the music swirl around him. It was comforting, it was loving, and it made Joshua sob quietly into the fading light. Shibuya was swimming through both of them now, and her presence attempted to soothe Joshua’s breaking heart.

It was too much. Joshua loved his life. He loved his parents and his school and his friends. He loved art and learning. He loved the sky and the ground and everything between. He loved life. But he loved his family more and it was too much. For weeks he had thought about what to do.

Guns were out of the question. He couldn’t procure one easily enough.

Slashing his wrists made him wince. He didn’t particularly want a mess.

Poison was well and good, but it would make his body suffer. He knew Mama wouldn’t want that.

In the end, he settled on an overdose.

Joshua took a variety of pills from the cabinet. He lined them up and started one by one, taking a cocktail of sleeping pills and allergy medication every fifteen minutes with a bottle of Papa’s wine. It didn’t take long for him to feel exhausted, but he kept awake until he couldn’t. He had to make sure it was done. Falling asleep too early would be reckless.

Once sufficiently loopy, Joshua rested next to his mother. He put a hand on Michel’s heart, and splayed his fingers out over it. The dreamy feel of the world fading didn’t hurt. He felt slightly sick but he didn’t care. His fingers sank into the music and he closed his eyes as he breathed his last.

Minutes ticked by. The clock struck an hour far past what Joshua remembered the time to be.

Did he fuck it up? Was he still alive?

Sitting up slowly, he put a hand to his head and moaned. He knew what hangovers were. It felt much like a hangover with an extra side of nausea. On the bed next to him was an indent where Michel had been before, and he panicked.

“Mama?”

_I’m here._

Joshua whirled around, regretted the swift movement, and froze when a cool hand pressed to his forehead to draw across his hair. It was his mother. He knew it. He felt Michel in every fiber of Shibuya and he smiled as tears ran down his raw skin.

_Sanae is going to be furious with you. I understand why you did it. I love you for your kind heart and your selfless behavior. If only I could have held longer…_

“No,” Joshua reached up to hold the invisible hand in place, “it isn’t your fault.”

_My precious boy. If ever you need me…you may call upon me. I will always be here for you. If not in words or presence, I will be in Shibuya and above, watching over you._

“Thank you, Mama. I feel sick. Will you stay with me?”

_Yes._

Joshua lay back down and closed his eyes. He felt Michel surround him and the warmth and love crescendoed as Joshua fell into a restless sleep…

……

“…Josh?”

He looked up.

Neku was standing a few feet away from him in the Room of Reckoning.

Ah, right. It was but a memory.

“You okay? You look tired,” he said.

“I am quite alright, Neku, dear. Would you like to call it a day?”

“Sure. We can go home, eat some greasy food, pop some popcorn, and be lazy.”

Joshua giggled behind his hand. He felt the touch of another and he glanced up at the darkness above the throne. “I would like it very much.”

His Conductor smiled. “You sure you’re okay?”

“…yes. I could never be better with you by my side.” Joshua rose from the throne, shifted to his human form, and took Neku by the arm. He looked back as Neku excitedly rambled about one thing or another and he smiled at the empty space behind.

Joshua wondered if he’d made his mother proud.


End file.
